Ellsworth business park gets second tenant

Brian and Teresa Spencer, owners of Wallace Tent and Party Rental of Trenton, have agreed to buy a 1.3-acre lot in the Ellsworth Commerce Park off Lakes Lane near Route 1A for $50,000.

According to the purchase and sales agreement, which was completed Monday, the Spencers will pay $5,000 a year for five years.

At the end of that period, the remaining $25,000 will be forgiven, unless they decide to sell the lot, in which case they would owe the city $25,000.

The rental company will be located directly across the street from a dermatologist’s office, the only other business in the three-year-old park.

Brian Spencer said he and his wife are happy about relocating to Ellsworth, their hometown as well as the central location of their clientele.

The company, which is about eight years old, rents tents, tables, chairs, high-end linens and other party equipment, generally between Bar Harbor and Bangor.

The move will also give them the opportunity to build a facility to suit their needs, rather than force them to fit into an existing space, he said. The purchase agreement allows them to build a showroom and office that is at least 4,000 square feet.

“We want to grow to the next level,” he said. “We like Ellsworth, like the people, and we wanted to stay here.”

On Monday, City Council members welcomed the couple and thanked Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce executive director Micki Sumpter for her role in bringing the Spencers to the area. Sumpter is also the city’s economic development director.

“This is a great thing for Ellsworth,” Sumpter said, adding that the tent company will bring in a young staff, which the business community needs in order to sustain itself.

The city developed the 12-acre park in 2002, primarily to increase tax revenue and generate local jobs.

While he acknowledged that the property got off to a slow start, partly because of a struggling economy and a lack of signs marking the park’s location, City Manager Stephen J. Gunty said the eight remaining lots have generated a lot of interest lately.

“It’s the deal of the century,” he said. The park is located within a Pine Tree Zone, one of only four in eastern Maine, which means companies there would be eligible for corporate and income tax reimbursements and other incentives.

“I predict this park will be filled up in a three-year period,” Gunty said. “Not only are they getting a good deal on the land, they are getting the best location.”